Silent Promise
by greywitch99
Summary: SPOILERS! for the end of the series. If you don't know what the Zero Requiem is don't read it or it will be spoiled. He was going to die. She was going to live. They are no longer bound by a contract and he has one question. "Will you leave?" Lelouch x C.C.


Author's Note:

Just a little moment I thought of one day as I was going to sleep. It became a headcanon of mine. It's set just after the episode where Lelouch kills his parents. This is when Lelouch would have come up with the whole Zero Requiem plan and asked Suzaku to help him. This fic is set just after(or maybe the tail end of it I guess) the conversation the three of them would have had (Lelouch, Suzaku and C.C.) in regards to the Zero Requiem. It's mainly a cluclu moment. Hope you enjoy. =)

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They were on still on the Sword of Akasha. The once golden sky was shattered and in its place a large grey sphere surrounded the ruined platform. All three of them were there, and they faced each other in a triangular formation. C.C. was sitting, hugging he knees to her chest and looking up at the other two. Lelouch and Suzaku were standing, looking at each other. Or a better description would have been that they were glaring at each other. They stood like two wolves facing off, with hackles raised. Lelouch stood stiffly with his head held high, back straight and shoulders squared. Suzaku stood tensely, muscles coiled and his gloved hand gripping his sword's hilt tightly.

"So that is your plan? The 'Zero Requiem'?" Suzaku asked coldly.

"Yes. And will you help me?" Lelouch questioned in return, his response just as cold.

Suzaku never lost eye contact with the man. He searched his face as if looking for answers and he grimaced as he said, "I can't see it in myself to forgive you. After all you've done."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Why should I trust you?" Suzaku asked suspiciously. "How do I know this isn't just some ruse? Some elaborate plan to corner me? You've manipulated so many people. You've betrayed everyone!"

"Because...This is what Nunnally and Euphy both wanted. A gentler, kinder world," Lelouch answered, his expression never changing from its cold, hard look.

Suzaku didn't respond immediately. He continued to glare and he looked as though he was in deep thought. He finally answered, "I'll do it. For Shirley, Nunnally, Euphy, and all the others that lost their lives. I'll help you end your life. This will be your sentence. This is how we will atone for our sins."

Lelouch didn't say anything. Suzaku didn't wait for an answer. He turned on his heel and stalked away down the steps coming off the platform to be by himself. Most likely to gather strength from his late princess to face the upcoming events. Lelouch stared after Suzaku as he left.

C.C. had remained silent throughout the entire conversation. She had been startled, horrified even as Lelouch had explained what he intended to do, but she hadn't said a word. _Kill himself? But, how could he do this? And Suzaku is even going to help him. _She was looking up at Lelouch as he stood there, lost in one of the deep recesses of his mind. As she watched him she felt her heart _aching._ She couldn't bear the thought of him dying. _I have to stop him._

"Lelouch," she said quietly, drawing his attention. He turned, focusing his now geass encompassed eyes on her. "You really plan to do this?"

"Yes," he said firmly.

"But you can't."

"And why can't I?"

"Isn't it mad? One wrong move and it will all be for nothing. If you die before you see it through, it will all be for nothing. All those lives wasted in vain," She tried to reason with him.

"I won't mess up then," He stated simply.

"What about the end result? At the end of it all you're just..." _Going to be dead. _She hesitated. _Going to commit suicide._ "Isn't there another way?"

"There are other ways, yes, but they aren't worth it. Nothing else will yield the same result. The others will backfire." He seemed sure of himself.

"You don't even know what's waiting for you. What will happen to you. Even I don't know that. You might just cease to exist. Or most likely be absorbed into C's world. Become a part of it. Some consciousness, the remnants of you just stuck there. In nothingness. You really want that? To die?" Her eyes were pleading with him.

"This is what I deserve," he responded stoically.

"What you deserve...You really think that?"

"Yes, I do. I have killed a lot of people C.C., and hurt many more. Why wouldn't I deserve this?" His gaze was unwavering.

"You were doing it all for Nunnally. For her future and for her happiness. And haven't you saved a lot of people too? You saved countless lives." _You saved me. _"Doesn't that count for anything?"

"It still doesn't erase my actions and decisions. None of it erases what I have done. Those who kill should be prepared to be killed. This is what I deserve." His expression did not change.

"And you're going to do this all alone. You're going to push everyone away to protect them and then just sacrifice yourself. Let them all hate you."

"That's right."

She was about to retort again. C.C. opened her mouth but nothing came out. It was his expression that stopped her. It was the expression of a man who had resigned himself. It was resolute and unmovable. She had seen it on people before. She had seen that look on him before. Nothing she said would change his mind. It was made up. This was his plan and no one would stop him. There was only one thing left for her to do, she relented.

She closed her mouth and didn't say anything. She simply pulled her legs closer to her chest and wrapped her arms more tightly around them. He gazed down at her and the slightest hint of sadness entered his eyes.

Neither of them spoke for some time until Lelouch finally asked, "What about you? What are you going to do? Will you leave?"

She didn't respond at first. She just stared off into the distance. "I don't know."

He looked at her for a long moment before turning his back on her to stare off at the walls of the sphere, far out in front of him. Only a sliver of his face was visible. He crossed his arms and firmly said, "You should leave. It would be better for you that way." Lelouch paused and when she didn't say anything he continued, "You could go off to live somewhere. Do what you want. Be happy. Or...if you still want that you could find someone else to make a contract with. But you should leave. The longer you stay the more it will hurt in the end."

"That's probably true." _He is right. The longer I stay the more painful it will be._ _But then why can't I say the words? Why can't I just pack everything up and leave? I have done it before. It's the logical choice._

"I didn't say it before. I was caught up in everything, but... it's good to have you back. It wasn't the same without you. I...missed you."

C.C.'s eyes widened marginally. She looked at the back of his head for a moment before she rested her chin on her knees and stared at her feet. She remained silent.

"If this is goodbye I guess I should say it...I meant what I said back then...When I promised that I would make you smile. I meant it. You deserve that." He hesitated but then he firmly said, "Yes, you do. You deserve to smile. You should." He stopped again. "That's why you should leave."

"I'll stay."

He whirled around to face her again, his arms dropping to his sides. "What?!" His expression was stunned.

"I'll stay."

"You're not bound by a contract anymore. You don't need to stay."

"You're right but this way you can keep your promise and make me smile. Even if it's just for a little while." She shifted her gaze up to him, looking into the once amethyst eyes.

"C.C..." He looked at her sadly.

"And I made a promise didn't I? I said I would stay with you...to the very end."

His voice was became more stern once again as he tried to reason with the green-haired woman. His face became rigid. "You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. You shouldn't stay because of a promise you made me."

"I know." C.C. met his gaze. Her voice matched the sternness of his own. "That isn't why I'm staying. I want to. It's my decision."

Lelouch's expression was still hard. He gave her one last lingering look and a small nod and then silently turned away again. His face once again was no longer visible.

C.C.'s expression then softened again as he relented. She uncurled herself from her sitting position. Slowly she stood up and approached Lelouch, the heels of her boots clicking softly. She stood next to him and gently took his gloved hand in her two pale ones.

Lelouch didn't speak. He didn't look at her. His only response was to tightly grip her hand in his, firmly but gently bringing her just a little closer.

She looked up at his face. He was staring far ahead at the patterned wall. His gaze was set and his face was hard. The dull grey light illuminated his handsome features. Nothing betrayed any emotion...except for his eyes. Unshed tears were formed there, tears, which she knew, he would not allow to fall. Because of those tears and his hand gripping hers, she knew. This was his silent thanks, his silent promise.

She turned her gaze away from his face and directed it ahead of her. She joined him in looking out at the grey dome with its fluctuating, softly glowing, iridescent patterns. Sighing softly, she tilted her head to rest it on Lelouch's shoulder.

They stood like that for a long time after that. Side by side, gazing out before them, deep in thought. They were like two statues, two sentinels keeping watch. Totally motionless, and in complete silence.

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And done. I ships it. =) Hope you liked it.


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